For those of you who don’t know me IRL (is that what the cool kids are saying?), I’m not a big breakfast eater. If I could skip any meal of the day, breakfast would be it. I usually stick to a bagel, avocado toast or yogurt and granola, but to be honest, I’ll take a cold slice of leftover pizza over all that any day! As to be expected, oatmeal isn’t always my go-to, either. I do, however, love me some muesli! I’m a Rachel Bilson (The O.C., Hart of Dixie) fan and one day she posted these cute little jars of Bircher muesli on Instagram and they looked so good! I hunted high and low for a good recipe online and I fell in love the first time I made it. I love it topped with fruit, nuts, seeds, coconut — anything! Trader Joe’s has a quick version you can whip up, too! But that’s not the recipe I’m sharing today … sorry hah! Got a little sidetracked.

Today, I’m sharing this super simple baked oatmeal recipe I found through Big Brother’s Dani (Donato) Briones! She’s one of my favorite former Big Brother contestants and I love staying up-to-date with her life on Instagram. She often shares about her husband (who she met on Big Brother!), their precious newborn, Tennessee Autumn, and all kinds of good (and often vegan!) recipes. She posted this recipe on her Instagram story and I immediately screenshot it. If there’s any way to improve on oatmeal, I had to give it a shot!

Side note: The second season of Celebrity Big Brother (Big Brother’s spinoff) starts this Sunday, Jan. 21! The premiere season was a hoot and one of my favorite Big Brother seasons to date. If you’ve never heard of Big Brother, it’s a reality competition show where a number of strangers are sequestered in a house for the summer with no connection to the outside world. They must compete each week for the chance to stay in the house and claim the 500k grand prize. The celebrity version is shortened, but the fun is not! Having celebrities participate provides a whole new layer to the drama and fun-filled show. I’ll be tuning in and if ya know what’s good for you, you will, too! (Is my TV-dependence showing yet?)

Ok, back to the recipe!

Ingredients

2.5 cups rolled oats

2 cups non-dairy milk (I used almond but oat or pea works, too!)

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of pink salt

cinnamon

your choice of fruit (I used banana. You could also use apples, blueberries, etc.)

optional: 1/3 cup maple syrup

optional: 1 tbsp coconut sugar

Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix all of the ingredients in a baking pan.

I put cinnamon in the mix and on top

I topped it with fruit instead of mixing, but it works either way

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown

That’s literally it! So easy, so yummy and I’m so gonna make this again!

Spoiler alert: This is one of my new favorite go-tos — I’m not kidding.

A few weeks ago, I was looking to use some vegetables I had on hand before they went bad and I ended up throwing this together. It came out soooo much better than I expected! So obviously, I had to share. I only wish I thought of it sooner.

I don’t eat pork of any kind so soy chorizo is one of my best buds. For this recipe, I used Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo (would you expect any other brand?). It has all the flavor of regular chorizo, but it’s vegan and gluten-free. Hallelujah! So go on, now — spice up your life!

1. chop up your bell pepper and onion in strips and add to a medium to large-sized pan2. chop up your zucchini (I usually slice them and cut each of those in half) and add to pan3. add your oil to the pan4. set the pan to medium-high heat5. let the veggies simmer for a few minutes6. add the soy chorizo to the pan and mix well with the veggies7. let the veggies + soy chorizo cook, stirring occasionally8. add salt as needed9. warm your tortillas (I usually just microwave a few at a time)10. when vegetables + soy chorizo are thoroughly cooked, remove from heat11. fill the tortillas with the veggie + soy chorizo mix and add your toppings

Hey! I’m Kassi, a twenty-something from good ol’ California. I love words, design and large cups of coffee. Most days you’ll find me in yoga pants, listening to Coldplay + diffusing some Northern Lights Black Spruce. Stay a while + say hey!